Improvement in fare-boxes



l. HILL.

Fare-Box.

Patented Ju1y13, 1875.

\N n sais LBETERSrPHOToUTHDGRAPH WASHINGTON D c GEORGE J. HILL, OFBUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE -HALF HIS f AATENT RIGHT TO JAMES W.RUGER AND AUGUSTUS RUGER, OF SAME PLAGE.

lNlPROVElVlENT IN FARE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 165,579, dated July 13,1875; application tiled Apxn 2s, 1875. y

elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the top removed. Fig. 3 is aperspective view. Fig. 4, an enlarged view of the slide and spring fordelivering the ticket. Fig. 5, detail View.

rThis invention is designed more especially for street-cars and sleepingand palace cars, and consists in a device having one or more tubes, orcompartments, in which are set printed tickets consecutively numbered,each y tube with a delivery-openin g and having also above the openingand in front of. each compartment an iiitlexopening, with the numberdisplayed therein corresponding to that shown in the delivery-openingwith which the conductor starts on the trip. These devices are combinedwith an alarm mechanism to call attention to the receipt ot' cash fares,or the taking up ot' tickets. The deliveryof these tickets saccomplished by one or'more thumb-levers, which throw out a slide onwhich the tickets rest, each action of the lever displacing one ticketand delivering another. These levers are connected with the alarmmechanism, and when released from the downward pressure 0u thethumbplates causes the bell toring.

A is a frame or case, having one or more compartments, B B, in which thetickets will be placed. In the bottom of each ot' these compartmentsslides a are arranged, having tongues on their sides which run ingrooves b b. The bottom of the case A extends torward in front of thecompartments B B the length of a ticket, and is covered with a curvedmetal plate, c, forming the front, and

having openings el d covered with glass,-

through which the last ticket with' its number may be seen beforedelivery to passenger. c is the ticketcatch, which is also a spring, onein each compartment, or tube, (see Fig. 4,) and having an inclined head,g, on the back end. This spring or catch is secured to the slide c atits front end, and catches and pushes out the lower tickets in thecompartments B, as hereinafter explained. The tickets are 'held down inthe compartments by springs h to keep them in place. G C areoperating-levers pivoted or'hung as\ shown at x, the upper portionrunning through the back of the case A and ending in thumbplates `D D,While the lower parts project downward and are connected by rods it' tothe ticket-slides, and by pressing down upon the thumb-plates D D theslides t c will be thrown forward, and the spring-catch e g will holdthe lower ticket and force it forward until its outer side reaches thedelivery-open ing d of the case at k, where it will stop, and thesprings m m throw the lever-arms upward and draw the plates a c backagain to their former places. The catch g being inclined will slipbeneath the next ticket, which has, in the meantime, been forced down bythe spring h into the place ot' the ticket now in the deliveryppeniug d,and be again ready for the action ot' the levers, which is immediatelyrepeated to force the second ticket j out, While the second takes its`place, so that its number can be ascertained through the glass of thedelivery-opening cl. i f is a screw set under the spring-catch e g toadjust it, up or down, to the thicknessfot' the tickets; E E areindexvopenings in the front of the case in which the starting number ornumbers ofthe tickets will be displayed, so vthat the oicials may knowjust how many cash fares have been collected and how many tickets takenup, as the device will do both most infallibly by comparing the startingnumber of each index and delivery opening, the difference being thenumber of fares collected, (at a lfixed price,)`or number of ticketspreviously sold and taken up by the conductor using this fare-indicator,as more particularly hereinafter explained. u u are springs which pressdown upon the tickets as they leave the compartments and hold them fromfalling out ot' the delivery-openings d dfas well as preventing theinsertion of any more tickets through these openings, as they will slideover the springs and show that the attempt has been made if left in. Theopenings d d and E E FFCE.

will have glass covers, and the cover p to the compartments and front cwill be sealed at o' to prevent conductors or others tampering with thecontents.

The levers G C are formed with projections or cams s s, having inclinedsides, as shown. Back of these a rod, t, is placed, running across thecase, with its ends resting in triangular-shaped cavities u u. Securedto the center of this rod tis an upright hammer-rod, o, having at itslower end a hammer, F, by which the bell G is struck, while its upperend is ilat and works between two bars or guides, w w.

H is a rod projecting from the back of the case, (or it may be the pivoton which the bell is set, if the bell is placed low enough down,)through which the rod v passes loosely-the object to be hereinafterfully explained.

The striking; operation is as follows: When one ofthe thumb-levers D ispushed down the cani s will be pushed backward, and by its inclined sideserve to raise one end of the rod t until the cam passes under it, whenit will be drawn down, by the spring1,on the other side of the cam, andrest almost in its former position; but this action has thrown the topof the bell-hammer rod fu a little ahead, and consequently, by means ofthe rod H, the bottom or hammer part an equal distance back. When thethumb-lever is released, the front of the cam s, acting again upon therod t, will raise it until it passes over the top of the cam, when itwill be pulled down with some force by the spring 'i this sudden actioncauses the hammer to strike the bell by the spring ofthe rod t. Aspring, z, at the top of the rod will force it back and keep it inproper position for acting.

This invention is intended, mainly, for use on street-cars orsleeping-cars, or where a single-fixed fare is established; but eachtube or compartment will contain tickets of a dit'- ferent color fromthe others, to denote a different fare, if desired.

For example: In one tube all the tickets will be blue, the fare beingiive cents.

The starting-number in the index will be set at 0; after the trip theconductor returns the fare-indicator to the office, and the last numberon the blue ticket will be seen in the delivery opening, d, and willshow the number, say 75, thereon. This, at a glance, indicates thatseventy-tive tickets have been sold, calling for $3.75 in cash. Theother tube (if but two are used) will have yellow tickets, and it isdesigned to denote the number of tickets taken up from passengers whichhave been previously sold to them. The index is also set with thestarting-number, 0, and on the retuin of the fare-indicator to theoffice the yellow ticket in the delivery opening shows, say 80. This atonce calls for eighty regular, or commutation, tickets, that theconductor has received. A settlement is, therefore, effected with him ina few minutes.

lf half fares are collected, or two different fares are established onthe same road, it only requires that the tubes should be multiplied, asthe working of all will be precisely alike.

The alarm is not struck at the moment the ticket is thrown out ot' thedevice, but just after, or when the pressure on the thumb-lever isreleased-that is, a ticket is issued before the alarm is given.

The tickets issued by this indicator are given to each and everypassenger as a receipt that they have paid their fare in cash, or handedin to the conductor a regular ticket. These receipttickets are numbered,but are not returned to the conductor at all--the passengers destroyingor throwing them away.

The arrangement of the springs u n, in the delivery opening, ei'ectuallyprevents an old ticket being put back in the opening, to deceive theotce on return of the indicator.

lt is obvious that this invention may also be used as a check on clerksor employs in many business transactions, but it is intended moreparticularly for use on street-cars, palace and sleeping cars, as beforestated.

The consecutively'numbered tickets are a very important feature asreceipts to passengers and indicators to the company.

l claim- 1. The frame or case A having one or more compartments B, incombination with the slide a, having the catch 6g, the. lever C,connected with the said slide by the rod fz', the thumb-plate D,connected with the lever (l, for operating the slide and its catch, andan alarm mechanism connected with the levers (l and D, for sounding analarm when the same are operated substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. rl'he mechanism for ringing the bell G, consisting essentially ot'the. lever-arms s s, rod t, resting in cavities u u, hammer o F, andsprings y 2, by which the single hammer operates for any number of thelinger-levers, as hereinbefore specified.

3. The springs n n, in combination with the tubes B B, and deliveryopenings d (l, by which a ticket cannot be returned through theseopenings, substantially as hereinbet'ore specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing' witnesses.

GEO. J. HILL. Witnesses T. H. Passons, U. H. WooDwnRD.

